Joe Abruzzese
Title: President, Advertising Sales, Discovery Communications
Years in Cable: 15
Education: Seton Hall University
Best Advice: Make the client successful and you will always be successful.

Eric Phillips
Title: President, Domestic Distribution, Discovery Communications
Years in Cable: 13
Education: BA, Oberlin College; JD, University of Michigan
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: Always support your team.

Talk about a powerful dual-revenue stream… These two make it look easy. Abruzzese has built a reputation as one of the most respected advertising execs in the industry. Part of his success comes from the personal and professional relationships he builds with clients and colleagues. And his influence expands beyond Discovery, with Abruzzese serving as chairman of the Cable Television Advertising Bureau. In his spare time, you may find him enjoying his new hobby—building model ships. Phillips has navigated the often-volatile world of programming negotiations with finesse, inking renewal agreements in the past year with NCTC and Cablevision as well as new deals with Sony for PlayStation Vue and Hulu for Hulu Plus subs. Next up is Comcast, which could prove interesting given the concerns the programmer has raised over its potential merger with Time Warner Cable.

Abruzzese
I watch most programming on this device: Surprisingly, I watch on my TV
If I had a show on YouTube it would be called… “Punishment By Fashion Police”
Apple iWatch or Rolex? Rolex
Favorite vacation spot: Amalfi Coast/Tuscany—anywhere in Italy
Desert island album: Let It Bleed – Rolling Stones
Dish I can make and that would impress a celebrity chef: Chicken Francaise

Phillips
I watch most programming on this device: TV
Favorite scree: HDTV
Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat? Twitter
The technology that will most benefit cable over the next year is: 4K/UHD
Desert island album: Sting’s Nothing Like the Sun
Favorite TV show as a kid: “The Odd Couple”
The last time I had a good laugh was… watching an “Odd Couple” rerun

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Internet speed records are all the rage these days, with two separate breakthroughs making the headlines recently. One is more in the distant future, but the other hits closer to home.

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